Waiting for K Visa While in the US?

New Member

Is it possible for someone who already has a tourist visa to stay here while his K Visa is pending?

I'm looking to bring my boyfriend of two years over to the states and get married, but I realize that this is a process that takes months. His country is currently in a very bad state (not dangerous, but the economy is worse than dead, he had to close his business down a while ago, and there aren't any other jobs out there), so we really want to get him here sooner rather than later. Would he have to leave when we file for a K-Visa? Would he be able to stay, and just not expect to leave and re-enter until the application goes through? We're not sure the best way to go about this, but I'd rather not leave him stranded for too long.

There seems to be a lot of conflicting info on people waiting for K-Visas and whether or not they're allowed to be here (as in, I can't find any actual regulations on it and people's experiences tend to vary widely). We'd really like to avoid him having to stay in his country for another 6-8 months straight until the K-Visa is approved. Any info or advice is greatly appreciated!

Well-Known Member

He can try to come, but he is very likely to be denied entry on a visitor visa given he has a US citizen fiance and intends to immigrate to the US soon; it would be so easy for him to just change his mind while here and do Adjustment of Status.

Registered Users (C)

No
A tourist visa is issued for short visits to the US. Boyfriend\fiance cannot use a B visa to live months in the US. CBP would send him back from the airport if they got wind. Waiting is a drawback of having a loved one overseas, but K1 processing overseas is the legal way to do things.

New Member

Is it possible for someone who already has a tourist visa to stay here while his K Visa is pending?

I'm looking to bring my boyfriend of two years over to the states and get married, but I realize that this is a process that takes months. His country is currently in a very bad state (not dangerous, but the economy is worse than dead, he had to close his business down a while ago, and there aren't any other jobs out there), so we really want to get him here sooner rather than later. Would he have to leave when we file for a K-Visa? Would he be able to stay, and just not expect to leave and re-enter until the application goes through? We're not sure the best way to go about this, but I'd rather not leave him stranded for too long.

There seems to be a lot of conflicting info on people waiting for K-Visas and whether or not they're allowed to be here (as in, I can't find any actual regulations on it and people's experiences tend to vary widely). We'd really like to avoid him having to stay in his country for another 6-8 months straight until the K-Visa is approved. Any info or advice is greatly appreciated!